NG trucks: ready for prime time
Gathering in Williamsburg, Va., Managers from over 50 companies in the U.S., Canada and South America were on hand for the 2010 Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference. The theme for the 57th annual EUFMC was “A Sustainable Pathway to Your Fleet’s Future,” a topic addressed by several fleet managers and supplier representatives. One of those
Grade your tire program
Not many years ago, the success of a fleet tire program was defined by the frequency and costs of crises or problems. These were culled out of periodic expense reports, or perhaps a tire-cost-per-mile figure. This type of management by exception simply won’t cut it in today’s cost competitive business environment. Several important points are
Light-duty work truck offerings from GM
For fleets that use light-duty work trucks—pickups and commercial vans in particular—General Motors continues to offer an array of alternative fuel-powered models. These vehicles are gaining in popularity in corporate and government operations. Verizon Communications, for example, just announced it is buying 576 Chevrolet Silverado hybrid pickup trucks. Recently, on loan from GM and supplied
Tire wear troubleshooting tips
Tire wear issues, especially accelerated wear, can be frustrating and expensive. An expanding variety of vocation-specific trucks, engine and other drivetrain component trends, as well as unique service conditions, can result in a mismatch of tire performance and expectations. While the basic mechanisms of tire wear haven’t changed significantly since the introduction of tubeless radials,
Tires: assets or expense?
The life-cycle cost approach to tire management isn’t new. Manufacturers have been preaching this for years as a way to quantify the benefits of purchasing premium tires—with premium casings—as justification for the higher initial expense of top quality tires. Mostly, this scenario is built around retreading as a way to postpone the purchase of expensive
Navistar rolls out eStar Class 2 & 3 electric trucks
Calling it a “first of its kind commercial truck,” Navistar has unveiled its new electric vehicle specifically targeted for the Class 2 (6,001-10,000-lb. GVW) and Class 3 (10,001-14,000-lb. GVW) market. While first announced in December 2009 as part of a joint venture agreement with Modec Ltd. of the United Kingdom, the new vehicle was formally
High profile venue
With 530 exhibitors, The Work Truck Show sponsored by the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) this year in St. Louis, Mo. offered fleet managers a chance to see a large number of new trucks, components and equipment. Among the highlights were the following: • Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp.’s (FCCC) new plug-in all-electric walk-in van (WIV)
TPMS: one size may not fit all
It appears that tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) are poised to enter the age of modern reliable electronics. This should be a very good thing for the trucking industry. I believe that TPMS will become standard equipment on new over-the-road trucks, tractors and trailers in a few short years. The driving force will be operating
Use resources to manage tires
With much of my career focused on technical consulting, sales training and interacting with tire and trucking industry professionals, I feel qualified to offer one overall observation for improvement: Become aware and take advantage of readily available resources to enhance decision making and the performance of your employees. There are very few problems that someone
Nissan NV is the new kid on the block
Among the highlights of The Work Truck Show, sponsored by the National Truck Equipment Association and held this year in St. Louis, was Nissan’s official entry into the North American commercial vehicle market. Now finalizing plans to bring its first production commercial vehicle to North America in late 2010, the company unveiled the all-new Nissan
Productive cooperation: a new solution
Communication, teamwork, cooperation and other buzzwords aren’t news to those of us in the trucking industry. They represent worthy goals in many instances, but I’ve long had a bit of a problem with the way concepts have been presented. One of the cornerstones of good management has been identifying goals and deploying available resources to
Welcome news: DTNA, Cleaire retrofits
With a growing number of local, regional and state government agencies regulating emissions from in-use diesel engines, fleets operating 2007 and older model year trucks are now facing replace or retrofit decisions. Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is helping to address this challenge through a newly announced partnership with Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls, LLC.